Many different devices for processing documents are known. Most commonly, such devices are capable of reading magnetic or other types of characters imprinted on a document and/or printing magnetic or other types of characters onto the document. While the various configurations of document processing devices which include reading and/or printing means are diverse, such devices generally include a guide through which the document passes during processing. The document is drawn through the guide by pull rollers, passing through read and/or print stations for reading characters from and/or printing characters onto the document.
Endorsing devices, on the other hand, print a specific distinguishing mark on the back or reverse side of the document being endorsed. Document processing stations which read characters from or print characters onto a document may include an endorsing device as well. Such endorsing devices may either be an impact type endorsing device or a roller type endorsing device. An impact type endorsing device includes an impact member which strikes the document passing through the endorsing device, thereby producing an impact on the document which results in the printing of the character or characters provided on the impact member onto the document. A roller type endorsing device rotates a roller into contact with the document as the document passes through the endorsing station, thereby leaving an imprint of the character or characters on the roller on the document.
Among the disadvantages of using an impact type endorsement device in a document processing system is that in order to print the endorsement on a document, the advancement of the document must be stopped, the endorsing device activated to print the endorsement on the document and the advancement of the document resumed. Such a procedure results in the loss of time. As a result, the processing of documents is slower.
Another disadvantage of using an impact type endorsement device in a document processing system is that impact devices must be repeatedly inked. It is difficult to conceive of an inking system for an impact type endorsement device which will satisfactorily operate within the size and price constraints imposed upon document processing systems.
While roller type endorsers do not require the stopping of the document typically required by impact type endorsers, a disadvantage often present in roller type endorsing devices is that the rotation of the roller which contacts the document continues the entire time that documents are passing through the roller type endorsing device. As a result, the roller will indiscriminately endorse all documents passing through the endorsing device unless the roller is stopped, usually by a manual operation.
Another disadvantage of the roller type endorsing systems is that, apart from the date, the information printed on the document is always the same; i.e. it cannot be changed without performing the slow task of removing one stamp and installing another.
Printing devices are well known that have the feature that the printing is accomplished by the rotation of an endorser and not by impact type process. Such devices include a generally cylindrical housing and a series of wheels arranged inside the housing. Bands provided with digits or characters are positioned between a peripheral area of the cylindrical housing and the wheels. By activating the wheels, the digits or characters on the bands may be changed. The device is capable, therefore, of printing dates and inscriptions of any type which can be configured by the digits or characters provided on the bands.
The endorsing device proposed by the invention has been designed to completely solve these problems, offering for that purpose a structure that is extremely simple and which pertains to document processing apparatus such as reading and/or printing devices which process documents such as those issued by banking entities.